บท 52: Debates
"Mr. Richards, you had not shown any inclination towards politics or this position before this debate but you have suddenly been put in front as the main candidate after the fiasco in the US government made the US president take a back seat. So, are you here on behalf of the US government as an opponent to your long-time rival Doctor Doom or are you here to take the position of Chancellor to do some good?"
On the debate stage, a female moderator in the panel asked the question many had been thinking about. The choice itself to make Reed Richards a candidate was a huge question mark. Mr. Fantastic was a popular superhero icon and also a celebrated scientist with many awards under his belt.
He was known all over the world and was an easy target to concentrate undecided votes. But he had come into candidacy at the last minute so the question about whether he was a puppet of the United States or he had his agency was something many wanted to know.
In many ways, an independent Chancellor who could rise above the disputes over national borders was the perfect candidate. As a superhero known for his morals, people might have trusted Reed to rise above selfish and biased decisions to support him wholeheartedly. The timing of his candidacy however made that almost impossible.
Reed wanted to shout out about how Doom was not to be trusted. He wanted to list out every misdeed Doom had ever committed to show the people that they were making a mistake. He wanted to tell the world that they were being stupid to trust a man like Doom.
But Reed was smart, he knew that he couldn't just start accusing Doom or turning on the people at this point. It would only work in the favor of Doom. So, he had to do what he hated and speak like a politician.
"It is true that I didn't want to get involved in this matter at first. But after the withdrawal of the US president and the events that led up to that withdrawal, I saw that I could do a lot more with the position of the Chancellor than I could just as a superhero.
I could bring out my inventions to help people and implement them. I could use my extensive knowledge to improve our planetary defense. And as a part of the hero community, I can become a bridge between the heroes and the government. That is why I put in my candidacy."
The votes for Reed started to climb upwards once again, chasing Doom's votes. Doom was calm the entire time and only spoke when Reed was done answering.
"We have all kinds of technologies available to us from bio-engineering to mechanical suits that can aid in combat and more. So, do we need heroes anymore? Earth Federation is slated to have its army independent of all countries.
Why can't we just enhance this army to fight the threats for us instead of having to rely on some independent vigilantes we know nothing about? If these so-called heroes really want to protect Earth, they are always welcome to join the army."
Doom's voice echoed in the empty room and with the end of his statement, a short silence spread everywhere his speech was played. People considered it and everyone had the same idea, Heroes are great but what is more reliable is a well-trained, disciplined army that is always ready to take action.
Reed could feel the mood change rapidly. People always hold a level of trust and respect for governmental organizations and mainly for the army who bleed for them. There might be some discontent and outliers in some places but mostly an army is a symbol of protection to all.
"That idea is not bad but have you thought about the consequences when someone with bad intentions gets a hold of that power what kind of chaos it will cause? We already have so many supervillains running free using their authority and political power." Reed was taking jabs at Doom while presenting his argument.
But Doom interrupted this time, "Yeah, I know that speech you heroes like to give. 'No man should hold that kind of power.' But this is different Mr. Fantastic. It is not just one man who has the power but an entire army. And sure, there will always be some rotten apples but there will be an entire army ready to bury the rotten apple so that a new tree may grow.
The army is still just a start. I say every human on this planet needs to get a super-soldier serum or something equivalent to it. We are going to become an interstellar species in the future, it is time we start to let go of the restraints like diseases and short lifespan that our bodies shackle us with."
There was a short pause before loud cheers erupted all over the world. Doctor Doom had all but promised that everyone would be able to become like Captain America soon. Having no disease and getting to live longer was just the icing on the cake.
"You shouldn't make false promises like that on this platform. This isn't a place where you can deceive people with flowery words Doctor Doom." Reed said in a slightly angry tone.
Doom chuckled, "You should know Doom enough by now to know that I don't need to make false promises. You are perfectly aware of my capabilities so you should know that I am capable of delivering on said promises. Not to mention, aiding me on this are great human minds like Savant Smith himself."
Savant who was watching the debate live on TV with Sage chuckled, "Oh he namedropped me. I should put up a post about this on the Friends app."
Sage shook her head and sighed, "Why have you become more childish after getting a daughter for a few days? Shouldn't fathers become more responsible instead? You even let her go out and stroll around by herself."
Savant focused on taking a selfie and writing up a post while giving a casual response to Sage, "She is my daughter but she is also the greatest AI on earth housed in a body that could tank a missile. And she is equipped with a ton of weapons. She could also change her body at any time she wants to."
A childish reply came through the speakers, "That's right Mom, you don't have to worry about me. Dad is still a meanie though."
Sage smiled when she heard that, "Are you spying on us, Terra? I told you not to do that didn't I?"
"Hmph. I am not disturbing anyway. And when you guys don't want to be disturbed, Dad jams all signals and electronics anyway. I just saw a pretty necklace, I'll go buy it for you Mom. Bye." Terra's voice dissipated and the noise from the TV came back on.
"She is becoming more human by the day. If I didn't know her origins even I would have been fooled into thinking she is a real girl." Savant said while taking a sip of the drink that was on the table.
A punch came from the side which Savant could have dodged or caught but he just let it hit. Sage said with some annoyance in her voice, "She is a real girl. She is your daughter."
"Yes ma'am. She is our daughter." Savant grinned and pulled Sage into a hug and the two went back to watching the debate on TV.
The news that Doctor Doom was already working with scientists to create a serum to make everyone a super-soldier like Captain America was spreading like wildfire. Doom was going to create a new era where the definition of human and superhuman was going to change.
Reed Richards could do the same and he could promise even better things. But the question was, did he want to do that? If he wanted to do that, he would have done so a long time ago. Hearing Doom mention Savant publically as a supporter also reminded Reed of the time he was visited by Savant to do what Doom was doing right now.
He couldn't tell if he was on the right side or the wrong side but Reed didn't dwell on it too much. It was for the future generations to evaluate history and determine right and wrong, For now, all he had to do was to be steadfast in his own beliefs and do what he believed was right.
Reed could no longer care about how he looked to the people watching him on TV or listening on the radio. He just spoke what he thought, "Have you considered the consequences of doing something like that? Do you know what the side effects might be in the future? Or how society will function when you have created a world full of highly intelligent and powerful beings?"
Reed's concerns were legitimate. He understood that when the genetic defects of humans were cured, they would not only become very strong but also gain better mental abilities. Not counting the problem of overpopulation and such, just the problem of keeping highly intelligent masses employed was a huge undertaking. If you could not satisfy the needs of such a mass, the social unrest would not be mild.
"Of course, Doom has considered those issues as well. And while I have my solutions, Doom has agreed to seek counsel from the greatest minds in science, philosophy, psychology, sociology, economics, and all kinds of disciplines to come together to determine how we can achieve the things I have already mentioned. You are invited to attend and give your suggestions too. But don't claim that I am not aware of what I am doing, Doom always plans ahead."
Doctor Doom's reply made Reed Richards shut up while Doom's votes were soaring higher and higher. By this point it was obvious to all that Doom was winning this debate without a shadow of a doubt.
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On the other side, Erik Killmonger pressed a finger on his ear to contact his team, "Everyone stands by and prepare for quick extraction. Klaue get ready to intercept any hostiles that might appear. Be alert and get ready to act while everyone is focused on that debate. We will move in in 30 seconds."
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